According to idf.org, approximately 541,600 people were diagnosed with diabetes in Singapore in 2015 – with both children and adults developing Type 2 or Type 1 diabetes. There are numerous health complications related with diabetes, which is why it’s crucial for people in the pre-diabetic state to take action to stop the onset of the said disease. Here, we listed down some new practises that will help you protect yourself from pre-diabetes.

Make Exercising a Habit

Exercising is one of the best things you can do to prevent the development of diabetes. Health experts suggest exercising 30 minutes a day, with the help of a professional instructor to ensure your safety and to keep you from getting bored. It’d also be a good idea to sign up in a workout program so that exercising becomes a physically and mentally engaging activity for you.

Keep a Food Diary

Keeping a food diary can be extremely helpful, especially for people with diabetes. Carefully taking notes of the food you eat – along with any mood changes you experience – will help in clueing you into which food affects your health the most. Also, tracking your food intake will give you an idea as to how healthy or unhealthy your dietary plan is.

Drink More Water

A common issue that plagues people with diabetes is feeling hungry even after they’ve eaten. To counter this issue, health experts suggest increasing your water consumption; drinking a full glass of water after meals and downing another glass in between your usual meal times. Practising these drinking habits will definitely aid in warding off hunger and keeping you well-hydrated.

Ditch Soda and Sports Drinks

Maintaining their blood sugar level is one of the biggest issue that people with diabetes often face. If you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, then it’s as necessary to remove all excess sugar from your diet. Caffeine is also known to cause problems, which is why health experts recommend avoiding caffeinated drinks like sodas, sweet tea and sports drinks. If you ever get tempted to grab a can of soda, simply remind yourself that a 12-ounce can of it is loaded with 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Get Enough Sleep

Aside from lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet, sleep deprivation is also a known contributor to the development of diabetes. If you’re already a pre-diabetic, it’d be best to commit yourself to an 8-hour sleeping schedule. Doing this helps your body in dealing with pre-diabetic stress, as well as in preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Apart from exercising and eating a healthy diet, educating yourself about the common misconceptions of diabetes will also help you dealing with the disease. Combining knowledge with some lifestyle changes is definitely the best way to halt pre-diabetes in its tracks.